The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus having a cooling mechanism realized through blowing of air, a cooling device, and a cross-flow fan.
In order to suppress internal temperature rise or cool an object heated to a high temperature, an image forming apparatus includes a cooling device configured to cool an object by blowing air. In some cases, a cross-flow fan is used as an example of the cooling device included in the image forming apparatus. The cross-flow fan includes a fan main body (also referred to as a runner) having multiple blades surrounding a shaft and a housing that houses the fan main body, and widely blows out an airflow. For example, in an image forming apparatus, the cross-flow fan is utilized for cooling a print sheet passing through a conveying path, and the like.
In addition, the image forming apparatus includes a fixing device configured to heat a print sheet on which a toner image is transferred and fix the toner on the print sheet. The fixing device includes a heating roller whose whole area in the width direction is heated by a heating device, and heats the print sheet by using the heating roller. Since the width size of the print sheet heated by the fixing device is not always the same, both ends of the heating roller are excessively heated when a print sheet having a size smaller than the width of the heating roller is conveyed. In order to prevent excessive heating of the both ends, a known fixing device includes cooling fans disposed at positions corresponding to both ends of the heating roller.